Footnotes:(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.

Over the year ended October 2013, the index for food rose 1.3 percent. The food at home index rose 0.8 percent. The indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and cereals and bakery products increased, while the indexes for nonalcoholic beverages, other food at home, and dairy and related products declined. The index for food away from home rose 1.9 percent.

The energy index declined 4.8 percent for the 12 months ending October 2013, with the indexes for gasoline and fuel oil down 10.1 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. In contrast, the electricity index rose 3.0 percent.

Over the last year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.7 percent, the same increase as the 12 months ending September. The indexes for shelter and medical care both rose 2.3 percent, and the new vehicles index increased 1.0 percent. The apparel index declined 0.2 percent.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — October 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑13‑2193.

Self-employment in the United States
Trends in self-employment by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, including both the unincorporated and the incorporated self-employed, as well as data on paid employees who work for the self-employed.